Cultivating student success one position at a time

"Generally, when students do leave CAHS, they stay with the university. We wanted to focus on strategies that allowed students to persevere and stay within our college and their chosen career path, " explained Lauren McCants, the senior assistant dean for CAHS.

In 2021, 85% of first-year CAHS students were retained at UC; however, some transitioned into degree programs at other UC colleges. In CAHS 65% of first- and second-year students were retained in the college. Looking closer at student demographics, only 60% of first generation and 64% of underrepresented minority students were retained in CAHS in their first year. The college is looking to reduce those gaps. Here's a look at the newly admitted CAHS Fall 2023 students, which form a diverse group:

• 26.6% are non-white
• 22.3% identify as male
• 26.1% are first generation college students       
  

“To help improve retention rates and student success, we are taking a ‘full-circle approach’,” adds interim dean Charity Accurso. “That means creating an environment that connects faculty, advisors and students together, in addition to connecting students with university support. We want students to feel comfortable letting someone in their circle know that they are struggling and they need help either in the classroom or with challenges outside the classroom.”  

That’s where Ronay comes in.

"It is important for us to build relationships with the academic teams within those colleges so we can collaborate to help students through their entire academic journey,” says Accurso. “By working together, we identify students that are struggling early on and give them the help they need so they can qualifty for their clinical year or progress into a graduate program.”

By increasing retention and academic success the college hopes to increase graduation rates and ultimately aid in the diversification of its professional graduate programs as well as Greater Cincinnati’s allied health workforce. 

Ronay began her position as a success coach on Aug. 7 and has hit the ground running. She has participated in the college’s fall retreat, met with programs directors, and held one-on-one meetings with advisors to raise awareness about her role and establish partnerships. 

“This is about creating a circle of care for our students,” says Ronay. “I am excited to get started and see what I can do.”